The whole world is quickly moving to a remote format, and this is appreciated by both students getting their first experience and seasoned employees. While learners often rely on outsourcing to get everything done (for example, writepaper reviews writers), other tools will make you a productivity god. And they are accessible to everyone.
Well, the advantages of remote work are hard to underestimate, and employees and employers from all over the world will agree. This approach allows you to flexibly plan time and save plenty of money on travel or renting premises. At the same time, customer and contractor satisfaction increases as the process can be set up rather easily.
As a rule, you need two things to be productive: a cozy workplace and a laptop with an internet connection. To ensure that the distance doesn’t complicate the work and nothing bothers you, select a set of tools. Thanks to it, your communication with colleagues will be smooth, and your schedule will be as organized as possible.
Study the list below to choose the tools that suit your needs best!
Slack (Communication)
Slack is an irreplaceable tool for keeping in touch with a team, as here, you can create group chats and socialize individually. Most importantly, feel free to add your client or customer to Slack (the invitation will be sent to their email address) so that they will participate in the discussion.
Slack saves all your correspondence and files. Moreover, it allows you to set up notifications for desktop, mail, or phone and synchronize data on all devices. Another handy feature is that it integrates with Google Calendar, Skype, Dropbox, etc.
Zoom (Communication)
A traditional video conferencing platform that supports large numbers of participants. It includes meeting recordings, virtual backgrounds, a “raise your hand” feature for organized discussions, and much more. Zoom usually has positive feedback from users, so this tool definitely won’t hurt.
Trello (Task Setting)
Trello works according to the Japanese Kanban system, which allows you to control each stage of a task. The system consists of boards with lists. You can create a card for a project or a regular task.
Therefore, the app is a perfect tool for time management: each task has subtasks, and you can add comments, deadlines, files, or tags to them. Integration with other services is also available, for instance, a Google Calendar.
Worksection (Task Setting)
This application keeps your routine well-planned by organizing projects and tasks. Here’s what you can do in Worksection:
- Invite participants, add tasks and files, and discuss materials with clients;
- Manage your team and store tons of information;
- Track the time;
- Make necessary notes.
The application has integration with Google Drive, so you can offer customers to get access to a discussion. The interface is intuitive and safe: if a freelancer participates in a project, thanks to the access settings, you will maintain confidentiality so they won’t be able to see internal information. Documents can not only be stored but also edited online.
TeamViewer (Remote Connection)
No doubt, TeamViewer is one of the most well-known remote access programs. It enables you to show your desktop if you need to demonstrate some actions or connect to a remote desktop of other users. The tool is great for solving some problems or demonstrating how a software/service works.
Asana (Project Management)
With Asana, you can manage everything, from company goals to product launches and marketing campaigns. You can easily track the status of initiatives in Asana and get a clear picture of how you’re progressing toward your goals. Real-time work reports allow teams to monitor their objectives and keep their finger on the pulse.
Main functions:
- Keeping an eye on projects and maintaining communication within the team;
- Commenting on tasks to clarify what needs to be done;
- Mentioning colleagues and other projects in Asana to keep everyone connected;
- Sharing project portfolios with stakeholders to gain visibility into project status, priorities, and progress.
Google Drive (Working With Files)
Google Drive is a storage facility from Google in which you can work on files together with colleagues. Texts, spreadsheets, or pictures can be shared and edited online. Or you may download Google Drive to your computer.
Google Drive is truly useful since it synchronizes with plenty of popular time trackers. You are free to use 15 GB of space, and you can expand it to 100 GB or even 1 TB. The space on your Google Drive is also used to store mail in your Gmail account.
Toggl (Time Supervision)
Toggl is a service that allows you to control the time spent on work. All you have to do is highlight the task you are working on and click “Play.” Then, Toggl will begin counting down the time.
When you have completed a task, click “Stop” to see how long it took you to finish the assignment. This is useful for improving your personal productivity: this way, you will know your work habits and hours when you are most effective (for example, from 11:30 to 15:20). Remember, discipline is key.
Pomodoro (Productivity)
It’s a simple and affordable timer based on the Pomodoro technique. It works online in a browser: after the end of the working period (25 minutes), it gives you a signal. The mini-break is 5 minutes, and the long one is 15. Which break to choose? Well, it’s up to you!
You can indicate what exactly you are doing now, and if you want to keep track of how many “pomodoros” have been spent on a particular task, you will need to register. The Pomodoro app is absolutely free of charge. Even WritePaper experts use it.
RescueTime (Time Supervision)
After you install the application on your computer, it works in the background, tracking your activity across the applications and sites you use. At the end of the day, you can check how much time you spend on specific applications and projects.
If you want to actually track your time by the hour or send your employer a screenshot of a graph showing how much time was spent on work tasks, then RescueTime is a great option.
To Wrap It Up
The nightmare of any manager is a situation when employees can’t be reached by phone or when they miss all deadlines and work carelessly. Luckily, there are plenty of team tools that will allow you to work just as efficiently as you would in the office.
We have compiled a selection of solutions that will strengthen business processes through self-discipline, effective communication, and better project management. There’s certainly a lot of them to choose from.
